


To the Stars (Star Wars Rebels AU)

by SpecSeven



Category: Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Space Opera, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Astronauts, F/M, Falling In Love, IN SPACE!, Jedi, Kanan Jarrus - Freeform, Other, Outer Space, Space Flight, Space Marines, Star Wars rebels - Freeform, astronaut kanan, dorks in space, hera syndulla - Freeform, kanera - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 00:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13939107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpecSeven/pseuds/SpecSeven
Summary: “The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars.”― Carl SaganHera and Kanan AU. Captain Kanan Jarrus is about to embark on one of the first manned interstellar missions outside the solar system, hoping to find evidence that humans are not alone in the universe. What he finds will change everything- including the fate of Earth.





	1. Chapter 1

August 27, 2051: Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

 

"Captain Jarrus?"

Kanan looked up to see one of the NASA psychiatrists, Dr. Whitford, standing in the doorway, with his enormously bushy eyebrows raised.

"Come on in. We're ready for you."

Kanan got to his feet and walked across the waiting room, following the doctor into the hallway beyond. The air conditioners whined, chugging along at full power in 103 degree heat. This wasn't his first visit to Houston, but the heat was always an unpleasant change from the milder weather he'd become accustomed to at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma. The miserably dry heat  _almost_  made him miss his Antarctic resupply flights. Beneath his scratchy suit, he felt a tickling rivulet of sweat moving down his lower back, and tried to ignore it. He wasn't entirely sure if he was sweating from the heat, or from the prospect of being grilled by a bunch of psychiatrists for the next hour. Probably both.

Dr. Whitford stopped at the door to one of the medical center's conference rooms, waving Kanan through the door. Two other doctors sat at the end of a long, polished wooden table, regarding him like a vaguely interesting but potentially contagious specimen in a petri dish. The conference room smelled like all conference rooms always do- a blend of old coffee and the stink of misery from sitting through long, tedious and probably unnecessary meetings.  

"Have a seat," Dr. Whitford said, indicating a high-backed leather chair opposite the doctors. Whitford himself flopped into one of the chairs next to Kanan's with a tired huff. Kanan had met with the psychiatrist on a previous visit, primarily to fill out questionnaires. It was one of the only interactions with a shrink that he'd ever remotely enjoyed.

Kanan sat. One of the two doctors across the table, a grey-haired woman with a sharp nose and rimless glasses, said, "I'm Dr. Jan Markham, and this is Dr. Paul Feiner. You know Dr. Whitford already, of course. It's nice to finally meet you, Captain Jarrus. How are you enjoying this heat?"

"I can't say that I'm a fan," he said, with a wry smile.

"Not many of us are," Dr. Whitford said jovially. "Well, let's get right down to it, shall we? As I recall, you're not much of a fan of idle chit chat, either."

"That's accurate," Kanan agreed.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to review the basics with Doctors Markham and Feiner, here," Dr. Whitford said, picking up a tablet. A few taps later, he pulled up Kanan's file and began reading.

"Kanan Jarrus, no middle name, age 26, born November 29, 2025, in San Francisco, California. Biological mother deceased, biological father unknown. Adoptive mother also deceased. One adopted sibling, Ezra, age 15. Undergraduate degree completed at MIT in aerospace engineering,  _summa cum laude_. Joined the United States Air Force immediately following graduation, despite job offers from Jet Propulsion Lab and SpaceX. Graduate degree in aeronautical engineering earned from the Air Force Institute of Technology. Winner of a number of awards and medals, including Marksmanship and Airman of the Year. Not surprisingly, earned the rank of Captain last month, rather ahead of schedule. Bit of a cavalier attitude, but all tests are normal. Psychiatric workup completed, no unusual findings. I think we can proceed, unless either of you have questions."

Dr. Feiner shook his head and glanced at Dr. Markham, who cleared her throat and leaned forward. "No, I think we can move on. Captain Jarrus, this is more of a general screening to determine if you're a good psychological fit for the mission. Would you mind telling me a bit about your brother?"

"Don't you want to know why I want to be an astronaut when I grow up?" Kanan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We'll get to that. The mission you've expressed specific interest in requires lengthy space travel, at significant risk to you. Are you comfortable leaving your brother?"

Kanan didn't say anything for a moment. He was sure these shrinks already knew how he felt about Ezra, and they just wanted to see what he'd say.

"Well, it was sort of his idea."

"Was it? You've expressed a lifelong interest in space travel," Feiner said, speaking for the first time in a nasal tone. He had a full head of salt-and-pepper hair and a dour expression.

"Earth has always felt a little...confining, to be honest. I look up at the stars, and I want to be out there among them. I've always been interested in space travel- particularly piloting spacecraft. But Ezra was the one who pushed me to do it."

Markham pursed her lips. "You haven't answered my question, Captain."

Kanan sighed. "No, I guess I haven't. Am I comfortable leaving him? No. But he doesn't live with me, he lives with his grandfather in California. He tells me he's planning on following me to the stars, so you all might be asking  _him_  a bunch of extremely personal questions in a few years."

Markham arched one thin eyebrow and glanced at Kanan's file on her tablet, and then looked up in surprise. "Your adoptive mother was Dr. Depa Billaba, the astrophysicist?"

"Yes. That's right."

"I was incredibly saddened to hear of her passing," Markham said. She was well known to many here at NASA, and indeed, all over the world. Such a terrible loss. It must have been very difficult for you and your brother."

Kanan's eyes narrowed slightly.  _Typical shrink_ , he thought.  _Always trying to get you to cry_. Out loud, he simply said, "It was."

"And your biological mother? Did you know her?" Feiner asked.

"No. I spent some of my formative years in foster care."

Markham glanced at his file again. "You were quite a bit older when your mother adopted Ezra, and I understand that you assisted her in his care. When she died, did you assume more of a parental role?"

Dr. Whitford heaved a deep sigh of exasperation. "Doctors Markham and Feiner are expressing doubts about your ability to focus on the mission, in a very roundabout and unnecessary manner."

Markham and Feiner looked taken aback for a moment, and Kanan smothered a grin. Dr. Whitford was annoyingly good psychiatrist, at least as far as he was concerned.

"It's fine," Kanan said. "The questions are relevant. My mother died when I was twenty-one- I was still finishing up at MIT. Ezra moved in with our grandfather. I considered transferring to Caltech to be a little closer to him, but Mace wanted me to stay in Boston and finish my degree."

"Mace is your grandfather?" Dr. Feiner asked.

"Yes. He worked for NASA during the days of their old shuttle program- he was one of their top engineers. Moved to Pasadena to teach at Caltech, and adopted my mother."

"You have a fascinating family, Captain Jarrus," Dr. Markham commented.

"I was lucky."

Dr. Whitford chuckled. "I think it was a bit more than luck, wasn't it?"

Kanan shrugged. "My mother was looking to adopt a foster child with potential, yes. She reviewed my aptitude tests before meeting me. Same with Ezra."

"Those tests are all quite remarkable, of course," Whitford told the other two. He turned his attention back to Kanan and raised his hairy brows. "Curious that such a brilliant fellow would join the Air Force. Not that there's anything wrong with serving in the armed forces, but as I mentioned before, you were fielding impressive job offers at the time. Care to comment?"

"The job offers sounded stuffy, to be honest. I just wanted to fly, and I had no interest in becoming a commercial pilot. I wanted to fly experimental aircraft, and you can't do that unless you work for the government," Kanan told them.

"And have you been able to fly any experimental aircraft?" Whitford asked.

Kanan smiled broadly. "That's classified, Doc."

Whitford chuckled again. "Well, Captain, you might as well enlighten us as to why you're interested in becoming an astronaut- and why this  _particular_  mission appeals to you."

"I can answer both questions with two words: interstellar travel," Kanan said. "When I heard about the discovery of the wormhole and the launch of the unmanned probe, I applied to NASA immediately."

Dr. Feiner leaned forward. "Assuming we don't lose contact with the probe and can eventually send a manned ship into that wormhole, there would still be a considerable risk of death."

"I realize that," Kanan nodded. "But to be able to pilot a ship-  _especially_ the kind of ship they'd be using for this kind of mission- through a wormhole to...well, wherever it goes? It's worth the risk."

"What are you hoping to find out there?" Dr. Whitford asked. His voice lost the slightly sardonic tone he favored- he was legitimately interested in Kanan's response.

"I'm not sure. Life, maybe. Some indication that we're not alone in this mind-bogglingly enormous universe, that we're not here just to destroy ourselves and burn it all down- that there's some meaning to it all," he said, looking only at Whitford. "Something out there is calling to me, and I want to find it."


	2. Chapter 2

June 11, 2052: Tacoma, WA

 

_Ground control to Major Tom_

_Ground control to Major Tom_

_Take your protein pills and put your helmet on…_

“You’re an asshole,” Kanan said, grinning, as his frequent co-pilot, occasional fellow miscreant and good friend Mike Skelly bellied up to the bar, returning from a trip to the old-fashioned jukebox. They were currently the only two patrons in the dive bar that was a favorite of the denizens of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Kanan slid a glass of expensive whiskey over to Skelly. “You don’t deserve that fine libation.”

“It’s Bowie, man. What are you bitching about? You love Bowie.” Skelly chuckled. He picked up the glass of whiskey and took a swig, and then looked at Kanan in confusion. “This here is sippin’ whiskey, brother. I thought we were getting plastered tonight. You’re gonna be an astronaut!”

“And ‘Space Oddity’ is the song you pick to celebrate that?” Kanan shook his head, laughing. “Asshole.”

“‘Starman’ is up next. I need to piss. Get me a beer, willya?”

Skelly sauntered off towards the bathroom. Kanan leaned to one side on the bar stool and pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket. One new message.

_Ezra: Missed your call. Got practice until 7. Call you after._

Kanan smiled and deposited the thin piece of bendy plastic on the bar, so he could see it when Ezra called.

“Still using one of those old things, eh?” The bartender, Mena, leaned one elbow on the bar and raised an eyebrow.

“You know me...I like antiques.”

Mena’s eyes narrowed, but a smile played around her lips. “That sounds like a cheap shot.”

“You’re not an antique. You’re a beautiful, slightly older woman that I would like to take out to dinner sometime,” Kanan said, hoping it sounded as sincere as it felt. He’d seen her at least once a week for the better part of a year. She  _was_  beautiful, with dark hair and eyes. But even better- she was ballsy, and whip smart. And Kanan loved nothing more than an intelligent, tough woman.

“You know I don’t date Air Force guys.”

“Well, I’m not an Air Force guy anymore, as it happens,” Kanan said, giving her the smile that had always worked pretty well on members of the better sex. “Got the call today- I got in. I’m part of the Astronaut Candidate Class of 2052, Mena.”

She looked surprised, and then pleased. “Holy shit! That’s amazing!”

“Jesus Christ,” Skelly complained, sliding onto a bar stool. “Are you two still at it? You know, some people just want to drink in peace, Jarrus. They don’t want to watch you unsuccessfully flirt with the poor bartender every damn night. And YOU,” he said, pointing at Mena. “You’re not exactly discouraging him!”

She shrugged. “I do what I want, Mike. At least he finally asked me out this time.”

“Yeah, that’s convenient, seeing as he’s leaving in August,” Mike said, throwing Kanan a look.

Kanan’s phone buzzed on the bar. Ezra. “Gotta take this,” he said, as he grabbed the phone. He jumped up and headed towards the door at the front of the bar.

“Convenient. I’m drinking your whiskey while you’re gone,” Skelly called after him

Once outside, Kanan tapped the ‘talk’ image on the phone’s transparent screen. “Hey! How was practice?”

“Same old same old. Our team sucks. Worst soccer team in California, I think. So, what’s up?” Ezra asked.

“I got in.”

“No shit?!”

“No shit,” Kanan said, grinning. “And don’t let Mace hear you talking like that.”

“Like I didn’t learn every swear I know from listening to him? Come on.” Ezra laughed. “I knew you’d get in. You better get me into that launch!”

“I’ll get you into anything I can. But I don’t know when- or if- I’ll even be going up. I have to get through two years of training first. Although, you know...there’s a chance I might end up training on Deep Space Gateway- you know, the space station that’s orbiting the moon.”

“That’s  _so cool_ , dude.”

“Yeah. It really is. I’m going to come down to see you before I go to Houston in August, though. I have to finish up here, but I think I can swing it.”

“That would be great. Listen, I don’t want to keep you from celebrating. And I have to get home- Mace is making me go to some Caltech function with him tonight. Can you guess why?” Ezra asked, his tone grouchy.

Kanan laughed. “I don’t know, probably because you’re smarter than anyone in Mace’s department, and they’re dying to get you to agree to apply?”

“I just want to be a normal kid, sometimes,” Ezra sighed.

“You’re a normal kid, trust me. You’re just as annoying as every other teenager I’ve ever met.”

Ezra snorted. “Thanks, Kanan. I appreciate that.”

“No problem.”

“Well, give me a call tomorrow, if you’re not too hungover and busy with a, uhhh... _companion_.”

“Yeah, I hope your function tonight isn’t too dull, although you probably deserve it for making that last comment,” Kanan said.

“Hey, I can’t help it if you’re boozy lothario. I just call ‘em like I see ‘em.”

Kanan chuckled. “Seriously, what kind of fifteen-year-old kid uses the word ‘lothario’?”

“I don’t know. I guess the same kind of kid that ends up with his grandfather at a Caltech Department of Aerospace function on a Friday night, while all his friends are leaving to go camping in Angeles National Forest for the weekend.”

“Yeah,” Kanan sighed. “I guess you’re that kind of kid.”

“Anyway, I really have to go. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Yeah, talk to you soon.”

Ezra hung up, and Kanan headed back into the bar. It appeared that Skelly was feeling sentimental, because one of their shared favorites (and a good companion on long supply flights), Led Zeppelin, was blasting out of the bar’s speakers.

Kanan reclaimed his bar stool next to Skelly, who had not finished Kanan’s whiskey as promised, but  _had_  ordered him a beer.

“Thanks, man,” Kanan said, indicating the beer. He grinned at Mena, who was cleaning some bottles at the other end of the bar, and she smiled back.

_Ramble on_

_And now's the time, the time is now_

_To sing my song_

_I'm going 'round the world, I got to find my girl_

_on my way_

_I've been this way ten years to the day_

_I gotta ramble on_

_I gotta find the queen of all my dreams_

“You’re welcome,” Skelly yelled over the music. He was well on his way to getting very drunk- he had a low tolerance for alcohol, and his pale, freckled face had taken on a ruddy hue. “Hey, you could be our generation’s James Kirk, but for real, man! Seducing green-skinned ladies on exotic planets and whatnot.”

Kanan burst out laughing. “I don’t think that’s too likely, Mike.”

“You never know. You could find the queen of all  _your_  dreams out there in space, buddy.” Mike’s eyes shifted from Kanan to Mena and back again. “Or maybe she’s right down at the end of the bar, there…”

“Yeah, I don’t know about that. She knows I’m leaving.”

“Well, it’s not like you have to marry her. Not that you’re the marrying type, unlike my dumb ass,” Skelly grumbled.

“Your wife is awesome, man.”

“I know she is.”

Kanan took a long swig of his beer. “So what’s the problem?”

“I don’t know,” Skelly shrugged. “Sometimes married people just miss that dance people do when they like each other. The adrenaline rush and the whole falling in love thing, you know.”

“Can’t say that I do,” Kanan said.

“Wait,” Skelly said, smacking his beer bottle down on the bar. His expression was incredulous. “Are you saying you’ve never been in love before? How the hell is that even possible? You’re a total sap! And how did I not know that?”

“I mean, it’s probably because it never came up before, I guess?” Kanan shrugged.

“Yeah, but...you’ve never been in love before?”

“I don’t think so,” Kanan answered.

Skelly’s face took on a knowing look. “Yeah, you haven’t. You’d know. Well, shit, man. You’re twenty-six, right? I  _know_  you’ve dated plenty of women, so what’s the deal?”

Kanan shrugged again. “I don’t know, I guess it just didn’t happen. I really haven’t had a lot of down time for getting really serious with anyone. I mean, there were a few that I really liked. A lot. But things never worked out, for one reason or another. There was this one woman, at MIT. She’s great- we kept in touch. She was there for me when my mom died. But we went our separate ways, in the end...I left Boston, and she went to New York, and that was that. It sucked, but we both got over it.”

Skelly nodded. “Well, it’s going to happen someday, brother. Love is inescapable, like it or not- even for James T. Kirk.”

“You watch too much old TV, man.”

“That show is a classic! My grandparents used to watch it. Well, I hope you don’t die in space before you get to meet a hot alien woman and maybe make some weird-looking kids,” Skelly laughed.

Kanan shook his head, chuckling. “I’m going to miss you, you crazy bastard.”

The door to the bar swung open, and the rest of Kanan and Skelly’s unit came in, hollering and cheering. Kanan grinned- it was going to a long, loud, messy night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously this is a more adult version of SWR which, as a fan of swears and smut, I am pretty excited about. 
> 
> Also, for the record, I think Jacen Syndulla is cute. But that crack about weird-looking kids with an alien mother just felt right.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking about this AU for a long time, mainly because of the line "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." All of those things are completely subjective- entirely dependent on the point of view of the narration. It's a galaxy far away, but is it still in this universe? Could we get there, if we had the means? These are the kinds of things I think about when I'm in the shower.
> 
> I'm a little tired of trying to write in-canon Hera and Kanan stuff, especially after the conclusion of the recent season. It may just be that it's still too much to process right now. But it also has a lot to do with the fact that I wasn't at all satisfied with the romantic arc in season four. I'm not going to get into it here. But an AU seemed like the best solution to get the outcome I want- for instance, Kanan is most likely not going to die, in my version. 
> 
> In any case, hot genius Air Force captain astronaut Kanan sort of checks all my boxes, if you know what I mean. And the stuff I'm kicking around for Hera is about 100 times more badass than what she did on the show. Not sure how it'll all go yet, but here's hoping.


End file.
